After submitting his first-ever photo to the prestigious Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year, photographer and drone pilot Matt Deakin has been crowned the competition's Overall Winner. His ghost-like image Ethereal Encounter stood out to the judges, capturing a critically endangered green sawfish swimming alongside a green turtle in the waters off the Pilbara in the far north of his home State.
This year's competition attracted 2,129 entries from 501 photographers across 17 countries. Deakin took the 2026 title with an image so surreal that people keep asking him whether it's AI. He says, " That’s not an insult though, because it just doesn’t seem real."
But capturing the winning shot had Deakin feeling the nerves. His drone – the DJI Mavic 3 Pro – was around 2.5km offshore as the light began to fade, and its battery warning was beeping. Then, a sawfish emerged from the deep water. "I just said 'wow'," he explains.
"I pushed the drone as long as I could to get the pictures."
'Ethereal Encounter' – Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Tech info
Drone: DJI Mavic 3 Pro
Deakin shares on Instagram, "On a remote part of the WA coastline, I saw a spectral shape moving through the shallow water from the drone.
"As I hovered over the area, the shape emerged from cloudy water, revealing itself as a critically endangered Green Sawfish.
"To see and capture such a large one in the wild was a privilege, but what made this encounter even more special was that the sawfish was swimming through an area full of turtles.
"With the light fading and the drone battery beeping, I waited patiently for this exact moment before bringing the drone back to land at a critical 3%, all while being eaten by mozzies and sand flies to maintain connection!!"
Winner announcement and exhibition
The winners of the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year, were revealed by video announcement, and an exhibition featuring the 100 shortlisted images opens at the South Australian Museum on August 29 and runs until February 14, 2027.
A People’s Choice award will be announced in early January.
The full gallery of photographs from this year’s competition can be found on the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year website.
Find out more about the exhibition on the South Australian Museum website.
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